For Immediate Release
Contact Laz Denes with True Speed Communication
(704) 875-3388 ext. 806 or Laz.Denes@TrueSpeedCommunication.com
www.TrueSpeedCommunication.com
Online Media Kit Available at www.TrueSpeedMedia.com

Date: May 12, 2012
Event: Global Barter 250 (Round 4 of 13)
Series: Daytona Prototype division of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series
Location: New Jersey Motorsports Park (2.25-mile, 14-turn road course)
Pole Winner: Ricky Taylor of SunTrust Racing (1:15.091 at 107.869 mph)

The No. 10 SunTrust Corvette Dallara DP of Wayne Taylor Racing will start Sunday’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Global Barter 250 from the pole after qualifying Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville.

Ricky Taylor, who qualified on the pole here last July for the fifth of his six-race consecutive pole streak, once again turned the fastest lap of the qualifying session today, 1 minute, 15.091 seconds at 107.869 mph on the 2.25-mile, 14-turn road circuit located about an hour south of Philadelphia. It was best among 26 car-and-driver combinations that will take the green flag for Sunday’s round four of the 13-race Rolex Series schedule for 2012.

“I was doubting myself because I had such a bad time at Barber (Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., in March), where I made a mistake that really cost us in qualifying and, in turn, the race,” said Taylor, who with co-driver Max Angelelli was the most recent Rolex Series race-winner after slogging through a wet and torrentially rainy event at Homestead-Miami Speedway two weekends ago. “I put a lot of pressure on myself coming into this one. I put a lot of time into looking at data, looking at what Max is doing and what I’m doing, and I tried to put it all together in qualifying. Our SunTrust Corvette was just running beautifully. We made one adjustment in practice this morning that gave us a little edge, I think. It’s great to have Corvettes occupy the top-three. Track position means so much here and, especially this year with the GTs being quicker than they have in previous years, they’ll be so hard to pass. So, judging traffic from the point is going to be key tomorrow. Hopefully, I can keep it out safely in front and not damage anything and Max can bring it home.”

Today’s pole was the ninth of the 22-year-old Taylor’s Rolex Series career, all with the SunTrust team he joined full-time in 2010. It was his 14th career front-row qualifying effort.

The top-five qualifiers for Sunday’s race were the following teams:

1. SunTrust Racing (No. 10 Corvette DP) with Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli (1:15.091 at 74.570 mph)

2. Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing (No. 99 Corvette DP) with Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney (1:15.279 at 107.600 mph)

3. Spirit of Daytona Racing (No. 90 Corvette DP) with Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook (1:15.676 at 107.035 mph)

4. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (No. 01 BMW Riley) with Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett (1:15.755 at 106.924 mph)

5. Action Express Racing (No. 9 Corvette DP) with Terry Borcheller, Joao Barbosa and J.C. France (1:15.949 at 106.651 mph)

Race time Sunday is 1 p.m. EDT with live television coverage provided by SPEED. Live radio coverage will be provided by the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius/XM Channel 117 beginning with pre-race activities at 12:45 p.m. Live timing and scoring during all on-track sessions can be found at www.grand-am.com, and on mobile devices at m.grand-am.com/laptrax.

- SunTrust: The Official Bank of Motorsports –

SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation's largest banking organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. As of December 31, 2011, SunTrust had total assets of $176.9 billion and total deposits of $127.9 billion. The Company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid- Atlantic states and a full array of technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels. The Company also serves clients in selected markets nationally. Its primary businesses include deposit, credit, trust and investment services. Through various subsidiaries the Company provides mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage, investment management, equipment leasing and investment banking services. SunTrust's Internet address is suntrust.com.